Only time will tell if Bruce Ellington will ever live up to the playmaking potential he flashed in college. If there's a team most likely to bring the best out of the five-year veteran, though, his new one is almost undoubtedly the best bet.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots have signed Ellington to a one-year contract.

Ellington, 27, began last season with the Houston Texans as the team's top option in the slot. He suffered a hamstring injury early in Houston's 27-22 victory over the New York Giants in Week 3, and was placed on injured reserve shortly thereafter. After gaining a clean bill of health from team doctors some six weeks later, Ellington was released by the Texans, who had just acquired veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in a trade with the Denver Broncos.

The Detroit Lions snapped Ellington up just a few days after he was cut by Houston. He went on to appear in four games for Detroit before being placed on injured reserve again due to nagging hamstring pain.

Shortly after he was signed by the Lions, Ellington told reporters he had previously had the semitendinosus muscle in his hamstring removed after suffering an injury in 2016 as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

A fourth-round pick in 2014, Ellington's career has been beset by injury. He's never appeared in more than 12 games in any season, and missed the entirety of the 2016 campaign due to a hamstring injury that's led to many ensuing issues.

Despite playing in just seven games last season, Ellington finished with a career-high 31 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown, averaging a paltry 7.2 yards per reception.